Two-Heel Drive

Linda and David Mullally, authors of “Best Hikes with Dogs: Central California,” will sign books and give a slide show at the REI in Mountain View, REI Mountain View, 2450 Charleston Road, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23. Note: Backpacking tips are included.

Here’s the pitch on their book:

55 dog-friendly hikes in the Central Coast, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and the Sierra Nevada

Tips on trail etiquette, trip preparations, finding appropriate routes for your dog, reducing environmental impacts, and more

Most up-to-date info on leash laws and regulations

This guide includes dog-friendly trails between Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo, stretching across the Central Valley eastward to Lee Vining and southward to Lone Pine. These trails are not only legal for canine hikers, but also welcoming and safe. Additionally, this guide presents information on hiking responsibly with your dog: what to do when you encounter other hikers, tips on minimizing negative impacts, and skills for preparing your dog for a hike in the varied terrain of Central California.

OK, so the locale is a bit removed from the Bay Area, but the tips on taking the dog backpacking should be helpful no matter where you hike.

Since I don’t have a dog I don’t bring a lot of first-hand expertise to the question of where to take one. Some insist the best place for a pooch is at home. I’m not going there.

Let’s just say for the sake of argument that it’s OK to take your dog hiking. If so, where do you prefer? Also, on-leash or off-leash? Which places to avoid?

Let ‘er rip in the comments, folks.

Updates (I got unlazy and did some googling).

Jane his this covered in some detail at bahiker.com)

Here’s a dog trainer’s page of off-leash parks in Silicon Valley.

Many great dog-related links at this page, peppered with info on a few local parks.

More general Bay Area dog-related info, centered more on San Francisco.

Maria Goodavage has penned The Dog Lover’s Companion to the Bay Area. Pick up a copy from Hicklebees in San Jose. Another book: Thom Gabrukiewicz’s Best Hikes with Dogs Bay Area. Check it out at powells.com